EndoBreak: Dexcom's G5 Mobile CGM; Soda Tax Lawsuit; Tresiba for Kids

News and commentary from the endocrinology world

This week, the FDA announced an expanded indication of Dexcom's G5 Mobile continuous glucose monitor. Now individuals can use the system without fingersticks, yet still must calibrate the system twice daily with a fingerstick blood sample.

Despite a 2004 phase-out of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in the U.S., a recent study found several factors, including low SES, low BMI, and household smoking, were associated with higher levels of PBDE flame retardants in young children. (Environmental Science & Technology)

After a lawsuit was filed in September in reaction to Philadelphia's sugar-sweetened beverage tax that was passed in June, a judge ruled this week the tax is legal, and dismissed the suit. The pushback on the tax came from groups such as the Philadelphians Against Grocery Tax Coalition, who said "this tax unfairly targets working families and small businesses." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Earlier this week, Novo Nordisk announced FDA approval of its injectable insulin analogue Tresiba for use in children over the age of 1 with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Tresiba was initially approved for adult use in 2015.

"In this study, we found that being overweight in early adolescence adversely affects cardiovascular health in your 20s, regardless of gender or ethnicity," said lead author Seeromanie Harding, PhD, of King's College London. Her recent study compared rates of adiposity and cardiovascular biomarkers among adolescents in various ethnic groups. (BMJ Open)

A specific gene associated with sleep disturbances such as insomnia has also been linked to a myriad of other health outcomes, including obesity and abnormal glucose metabolism, in a study published this week. "We hope that this research will enable scientists to develop new ways to intervene on a range of conditions in a much more fundamental way," said co-author Richa Saxena, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital. (Nature Genetics)

The ADA's 2017 Standards of Care for Diabetes, soda taxes, and the DiaRem scoring system all make the list in MedPage Today's "Year in Review: Endocrinology." Read up on 2016's other top stories here.

In a longitudinal study published this week, researchers reported young adults treated with growth hormone due to small size at birth had no related, long-term adverse health outcomes in terms of fat mass or insulin sensitivity five years post-treatment. (The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology)

The first of nineteen NIH "MoTrPAC" grants went to Laurie J. Goodyear, PhD, of the Joslin Diabetes Center and the Harvard Medical School last week. The grants were given as part of a nationwide investigation on physical activity and molecular changes. "If we can determine the changes that occur in the body during exercise on a molecular level, we could develop individually targeted exercise recommendations and also help people who are not able to exercise due to mobility issues," said Goodyear in a press release.

Many HCPs are reluctant to prescribe hormonal contraception to diabetic women due to increased risk for blood clots and strokes, but a new study found the risk to be relatively low (6.3 events/1,000 women). The authors reported even lower rates when using IUDs. (Diabetes Care)

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